Blind Ambition

I'm reading 'Front Row', a biography of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, and I thought this portion was especially revealing. It was about Anna's first meeting with Grace Mirabella, the previous Vogue editor who she would later replace.

The meeting didn't last long, possibly ten minutes max, before Mirabella's secretary summoned Mellen to come and pick up her visitor.

"I took Anna to the elevator, and I asked, 'How did it go? I so hope it went well!' And she said briskly, 'I'm not sure, but anyway, thank you, and good-bye.'"

The elevator door closed and she was gone

By the time Mellen got back to her office there was a message waiting for her from Mirabella to come to the inner sanctum forthwith. Such a summons from the usually easygoing editor in chief was a bad sign. The thought that raced through Mellon's mind was, "Oh, my God, not good. What could have happened?" When Mellen arrived, Grace recapped the brief interview, an event the very dramatic Mellen says she's never forgotten.

"At the end, Grace said to Anna, 'If you came to Vogue, what job would you like?' And Anna said, 'Well, actually, the job I would like is your job.'" Mirabella instantly terminated the discussion and had Anna ushered out. Mellen listened in stunned silence and then managed to utter a few words: "'Oh dear, Oh, God!' Grace was very displeased. Anna didn't have a chance with her."

Anna didn't get the gold ring this time, but it wouldn't be long before Mirabella's world would be turned upside down by the arrogant young woman she had quickly dispatched.

Fwah.